I Want It All

A dull ache throbbed in his forehead, and a flicker of rage ignited in Hyuga Hizashi's heart. This Caged Bird that bound his freedom could only be undone by death.

A mere few seconds of difference, yet the gap between him and his brother was as vast as heaven and earth. When their talents were nearly identical, was the distinction between the Main Family and the Branch Family truly so insurmountable?

Veins bulged around his eyes. His Byakugan, possessing an absolute, blind-spot-free field of vision, stared at the figure before him. Beneath that Three-Eyed Demon Fox mask, the figure, which seemed to lack any presence whatsoever, made Hizashi's pupils constrict.

"Which clan are you from? You have no presence, no chakra, and no meridian system. What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Caged eyes, caged bird—you exist only to die for others. What is it that you wish to become?"

"A lonely bird with broken wings, trapped in a cage, or a star that tears through the night with fangs and blood, burning with the fire of your own veins?"

The phantom dissipated, and the hazy morning mist quietly drifted away. The first rays of the rising sun appeared on the distant horizon, dispelling the fog that had lingered around him.

The eerie figure vanished with the mist. Hizashi stood rooted to the spot for a long time, his mind in turmoil.

Genjutsu? What is this strange feeling... A lonely bird trapped in a cage, a star burning with blood and war—is it burning one's own blood and the fires of battle?

Does a Branch Family member, bound by chains, truly have the power to ignite that impossible war and burn the Main Family with it?

Lost in thought, Hizashi remained silent. Who exactly was that child?

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Uchiha clan district, at the home of Uchiha Hanazuki.

Resting his chin on his palm, Hanazuki flipped through a book with one hand, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

"Destroying the optic nerves to seal away the light—yet even so, Byakugan are still plundered by the Mist Hidden. The Main Family and the Branch Family, a twisted, deformed clan that exploits its own kin with cold indifference—is this the Hyuga clan?"

"A curse seal specifically targeting the optic nerves. If it only serves to resurrect the host after death, it ultimately fails to protect the Byakugan. A troublesome seal."

Beside the tea table lay a gold-lettered wanted poster urgently issued by the Hyuga clan, delivered by a special Anbu operative from Konoha. Ao's name sat prominently at the top.

"To protect the purity of their bloodline, they are forced to marry within the clan to ensure the continuation of their Kekkei Genkai. This is the way of all the great Kekkei Genkai houses."

Marrying out, blending bloodlines, and having offspring marry outside the clan—that is how the various great noble families operate. Examples like Hinata, a member of the Hyuga Main Family marrying into an outside clan, are not exactly unique, but they are exceedingly rare.

After all, one could not expect the Seventh Hokage of that time to change his surname to Hyuga. Compared to this practice of enslaving one's own kin, the arrogant and prideful Uchiha clan was leagues ahead in terms of unity.

As his thoughts wandered, Hanazuki examined himself, his gaze drifting toward the doorway.

"So, what brings you to me? Obito?"

Uchiha Obito, who usually wore a sunny smile and acted much like a fool, looked over with a mischievous glint in his eyes before placing three gifts behind Hanazuki.

Each gift bore a delicate, elegant script. After glancing at the signatures, Hanazuki understood why Obito had rushed over so excitedly.

"This era is one of war. We might be deployed to the battlefield by the village tomorrow, and we don't even know where we might die. If you're a man, what is there to hesitate about?"

"Choose! Is it Rin? Or Anko? Or perhaps that shy girl named Yugao?"

"Damn it, I'm still so frustrated! Why do you have so many girls who like you? I even failed my confession—damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The boomerang he had thrown came back to hit him. Hanazuki pretended to ponder for a moment, then, under Obito's expectant gaze, slowly shook his head.

"What do you mean? Didn't you say yourself, Hanazuki, that if you're a man, there's nothing to hesitate about?"

Under Obito's bewildered gaze, Hanazuki tucked away the notes and replied righteously.

"I am an attack helicopter, or perhaps a Walmart shopping bag, or even a Lord... I can choose none of them, or I can have them all. But you probably wouldn't understand."

Faced with Hanazuki's "caring for the mentally challenged" expression, Obito stiffened and loudly scolded him for such immoral behavior.

"Can a genius just do whatever he wants? Damn it, once I awaken my eyes, I'll definitely make Rin change her heart. Damn it..."

Completely crushed, Obito ran off in a rage to train. Hanazuki clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with lament.

It was truly hard on him. At an age where he couldn't even grasp his own destiny, he was trying to grasp a love that even adults couldn't reach. Was this also a side of this cruel world?

"Lord Hanazuki, the Third Hokage has ordered that you proceed immediately to the border of the Land of Earth. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of the Two Scales, has mobilized."

Without knowing when he had arrived, a man in a white cloak—a member of the Anbu directly under the Hokage—spoke in a low voice.

"Elephant? Even you, the elite Anbu captain who specifically guards the Third Hokage, have come. I suspect this isn't just to deliver an order, but also to supervise the battle, right?"

"You overthink it. It is simply because the opponent is the Third Tsuchikage. Aside from the Sannin and Minato, there is no one in Konoha qualified to fight him, except for..."

Before he could finish, Elephant saw a small hand stopping him.

"Spare me the pleasantries. The Flying Thunder God Technique is not a space-time ninjutsu without flaws when faced with Dust Release."

"Tell the Third Hokage that I can only delay him for a while and tie up a portion of his forces. As for any other support, I'm afraid I'm powerless."

The presence vanished. When Elephant looked up again, Uchiha Hanazuki's figure was already gone, along with the ninja tool pouch and kunai that had been on the cabinet nearby.

"What an incredible Body Flicker Technique. No wonder the Third Hokage specifically assigned this guy to hold back the Third Tsuchikage. Is this the genius of the Uchiha clan?"

The expression beneath Elephant's mask shifted constantly, and in the end, he chose to leave, seemingly filled with wariness toward this unremarkable little hut.

Meanwhile, the Hyuga clan, the Aburame clan, the Uchiha clan... the notable noble houses of Konoha were summoned by the Hokage and set off for the battlefield one after another.

Although those gathered on the battlefield were elites, the Hidden Rock side ultimately held the advantage in numbers, and the scales of victory were gradually tilting toward them.

On the border of the Land of Earth, the ground was covered in yellow soil and rock, and gusts of sand swept across the desolate land. Although the Land of Earth was one of the Five Great Nations, its strength surpassed that of the Land of Wind and the Land of Water.

Yet, all of this was built upon shifting its internal conflicts onto smaller, external nations, trading the prosperity of its own land for the chaos of others through war.

Onoki of the Two Scales was a name that praised the Third Tsuchikage's excellent diplomatic skills. At the same time, this name also represented the Kekkei Genkai passed down in the Land of Earth: Dust Release.

Near the border, numerous ninjas in crimson uniforms and Hidden Rock headbands stood on high alert, awaiting the orders of the short, bulbous-nosed old man at their head.

"To think that an old bone like me would have to head to the battlefield personally. I wonder if there will be a day when I meet Sarutobi Hiruzen in the Land of Fire again... Who's there?"

"Even if you are aged, you are still the Third Tsuchikage, worthy of respect. But wanting to see the Third Hokage might be a bit difficult. Not everyone can have your resolve to head to the battlefield personally, can they?"